Heavenly Joy

Are you tired of sorrow and sadness? I have good news for you; get to heaven, there will be no sorrow and sadness there. In the final book of the Bible, heaven is described as a place of wonderful freedom from pain, sorrow, and suffering. Joyful moments here are just that—moments. They seem to end quickly. In heaven joy is eternal. Hallelujah! Your best memories are those that are timeless, that seem to live on in your mind and in your heart forever. They seem so crystal clear and so crisp. That’s because the joy that surrounds those moments is of the Lord.

Scripture tells us that joy is a fruit of the Spirit, and the Spirit is eternal. So when you experience His joy, it is eternal. It becomes timeless. Joy-filled moments down here on earth are like sneak previews to whet your appetite for heaven. I think that’s God’s way of getting your heart every once in a while, a little closer to heaven and out of the mess of earth and onto the solid, real ground of heaven.

Today, rest assured there won’t be any violence or death in heaven. We won’t have to worry about nation against nation, or if a bomb is going to be dropped in heaven. We don’t have to worry about the atmosphere or pandemics killing us, because our bodies are going to be glorified, and we’re going to be eternally happy. We’re going to smile. We won’t have any more tears. I’m so looking forward to being with my family members and my friends in heaven. Will you be there?

“You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand” (Psalm 16:11).

Let’s Pray
Yahweh, thank You for the joy of heaven, so that my joy will be full as I live in Your presence now and forever. Father, I’m so glad that the pain and emptiness of this world will not exist in heaven and I will be totally free, hallelujah! Thank You! In Christ’s Name! Amen.

God Has A Promise For You

This devotion begins with humans being called to reflect the rule and reign of God. But people turned away, seeking to build their own Kingdoms. This quickly turned to violence and oppression. Humans lived in rebellion rather than in harmony with God. 

Amidst this situation, God called Abraham and Sarah. He came into their lives to make covenant promises, to re-establish them as a people living in harmony with Him. 

Scripture says Abraham and Sarah were an old and childless couple. The new start God made with them didn’t look very promising, but God makes promises in unpromising situations. God promised to be their God, to bless them, and to make them a blessing on the earth. Then, a powerful little seed was tucked in with this packet of promises. God said to Abraham, “Kings will come from you,” and God said about Sarah, “Kings of peoples will come from her”. What would that have been like, to hear God say that your descendants would be Kings and Queens on the earth? 

Today, just like in the lives of the old couple Abraham and Sarah, God is in the business of re-establishing Kings and Queens in our families and communities. His promises to Abra­ham and Sarah would, in time, bear good fruit for their descendants and for the whole Earth. Remember, God wants to do the same for us. For if we are in Christ we will bear good fruit and prosper. Let us trust His promises.   

“I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.” (Genesis 17:6).

Let’s Pray 

Yahweh, thank you for your promises. Fill me with your Spirit so that your Kingdom may come and your will may be done in me today. Please bless my family and community, in Christ’s name. Amen. 

5 tweets that help you help others on International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

5 tweets that help you help others on International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

“Sexual violence against women and girls is rooted in centuries of male domination. Let us not forget that the gender inequalities that fuel rape culture are essentially a question of power imbalances.”

UN Secretary-General António Guterres

The United Nations General Assembly has designated November 25 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (Resolution 54/134). The premise of the day is to raise awareness of the fact that women around the world are subject to rape, domestic violence and other forms of violence; furthermore, one of the aims of the day is to highlight that the scale and true nature of the issue is often hidden. For 2014, the official Theme framed by the UN Secretary-General’s campaign UNiTE to End Violence against Women, is Orange your Neighbourhood. For 2018, the official theme is “Orange the World:#HearMeToo” .

This year’s theme is “Orange the World: Generation Equality Stands Against Rape.” For the next two years, a campaign from the U.N. Secretary General will focus specifically on rape in its efforts to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls. 

According to U.N. figures, one in three women and girls experience some form of physical or sexual violence in their lives. The U.N. estimates that approximately 15 million adolescent girls have experienced forced sex during their lifetimes. Based on its data from 30 countries, only 1 percent of these girls ever looked for professional help. 

“Too many of us fail to name or challenge the rape culture that surrounds us,” U.N. Women said in an statement about this year’s theme.  

U.N. Women encourages people to get directly involved in preventing sexual violence by learning about rape culture, listening to survivors, and talking about consent. 

For this year’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, here are some tweets that show you how to do exactly that. 

1. Stand up

https://twitter.com/WFP/status/1198952338939101184

2. Know the definition of consent as there is no excuse for sexual violence

https://twitter.com/UN_Women/status/1198928076966641664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1198928076966641664&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fmashable.com%2Farticle%2Fviolence-against-women-2019-united-nations%2F

3. Support survivors

https://twitter.com/europeaid/status/1198856273565044736

4. To feel safe, women and girls have to look at everyday objects differently. Understand the burden women carry to avoid violence

 

https://twitter.com/UN_Women/status/1198897874626646017

5. Stop victim-blaming and body-shaming. What women choose to wear or not wear is not consent for sexual harassment, violence, bullying, body-shaming or victim-blaming.

https://twitter.com/UNDP/status/1198904157954031616

 

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